Having An Active Sex Life In Old Age May Improve Brain Function.

It turns out that sex more than just pleasurable according to a new
study that’s found brain benefits for those still having sex in older
life.

Older men and women who were satisfied with their sexual relationships
and considered sexuality an essential component of aging performed
better on tests of cognitive function than those who felt sexuality and
intimacy were unimportant, the research showed.

The study, conducted in the Netherlands, involved 1,747 men and women
from a larger study of aging. The subjects were 71 years old, on
average. About three-quarters had partners. Researchers assessed
cognitive function with tests of memory, mental processing speed,
general cognitive function and fluid intelligence, or the ability to
reason and think abstractly.

Subjects responded to four questions about the importance of
sexuality personally and to older people generally, and about their
current sex life and need for intimacy and touching with aging. Chronic
diseases, depression and medications were recorded.

Older men and women who were satisfied with their
sexual relationships and considered sexuality an essential component of
aging performed better on tests of cognitive function than those who
felt sexuality and intimacy were unimportant, the research showed.

The
study didn’t include those with severe cognitive deficits, so there’s
likely to be some bias in the results.

But the findings emphasize that
sex continues to be important well into old age.